Imperfect Rainbow
by Memory the Phoenix
Summary: I'm not the only one with problems. They're just too caught up to notice. WA3


First a note. This may seem like my first story, strange for the fact that I've been around for 2 years. Well those old stories that I deleted can't be resurrected as my old computer broke down. So here is my "first" story.

Imperfect Rainbow

I Didn't Mean To ….. Guilt Complex

Malik was awake first. He sat in the "cafeteria", the room set aside for meal times of the scientists, his head in his hands. He suddenly stood up, and went over to the sink. He poured himself a glass of water, hands visibly shaking in the yellowish light of the sunrise. Returning to the table he set down the glass, sighing when he spilt some of the water. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an amber bottle, it's contents rattling with each movement. He opened the bottle and tipped out two pills, the rest raining down to the bottom of the bottle. With another sigh he put the pills in his mouth and drank the water, grimacing at the aftertaste of the capsules. He was sane for another day, at least, he hoped so. He rose and walked out through the door.

"Why don't you hurry up?" shouted Melody. Malik winced at the shrieking. "You're holding us all back! Everyone else has finished, we're waiting for you!"

"Well take a break then, I'll be finished soon. Probably by tomorrow." Said Malik, holding his head as if he was in pain.

"Tomorrow's too late! Everyone else has done it, why haven't you?" shouted Melody.

" Maybe if you hadn't worked on your own project so long ….." said Elliot awkwardly. Malik shot him a hurt look. Melody snickered.

"My, my, my. What was everyone think when they selected a person who puts his ….." Melody paused, as if searching for a word. "Personal problems before his work."

" You're not the only one with problems!" yelled Malik who seemed distressed. " You seem to be too busy looking at the one with "official" problems to notice your own!" With that, Malik stormed out of the room.

"Melody, there was no need to go overboard like that." Said Werner.

" Then why didn't you tell her to stop her ranting, before Malik got upset?" asked Leehalt, who was leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face.

"Why didn't you?" asked Pete.

" No need to pass the buck. I really don't care. Isn't it a problem in your department?" Leehalt said. Elliot looked guilty.

"Look, this isn't the time for this, ok. Why don't you all take a break and relax or something? Said Duran, who looked worried. Half of the group left immediately. The rest filed out slowly. Melody left last.

There was the sound of hasty scribbles.. Malik was writing furiously.

" The rate of energy flow is proportional to the amount of human population in the area and inversely proportionate to the amount and strength of the strength of the monsters in that region. These are shown by the amount of guardian shrines in an area and the concentration of leyline energy that affects the strength of monsters, for example, the weakest monsters can be found in Baskar and monsters in caves, which have a build up of this energy, are weaker than the ones outside." Malik mumbled, reading over his report. He started reading in his head, and then rifled the small pile of paper and set it aside. "She'd better be happy with this."

Malik hated Melody. He hated the way she looked at him. It was mocking yet apprehensive of him. It reminded him of when he was a small child. He let out a small sniff. He was crying. He lay down on the nearby bed and he grabbed the green scarf that lay on it as well, pulling it close.

"No, stop it!" came a woman's voice. It was followed by the sound of smashing glass, a chain of screams and a slurred shout. Malik woke up to the sound of the screams. He was afraid. He got out of bed and crept to the door. He opened it and looked down the stairs.

"Mama!" he screamed. His mother was lying at the bottom of the stairs. Slashes ran along the side of her head and the rest of her body. His father was standing over her, with a broken bottle in his hand. The normally green bottle was red with blood. Malik knew that his father was drunk, as the bottle had been full earlier that day.

" Malik, get away." His mother said weakly. His father looked up at him and started to go up the stairs. Malik turned away, and looked around for something to defend himself or maybe….. He didn't want to think about it. He looked up at the ARM that hung on the wall. He took it down, knowing well that it was more than an ornament. His hands were trembling as he rested it under his arm. His father reached the top of the stairs. Malik raised the weapon at his father.

"Stay back!" Malik said, backing against the wall. His father took a step forward. Malik was terrified. He didn't want to shoot his father, but when he saw the bottle in his hand, he remembered his Mama, who was bleeding to death at the bottom of the stairs. " Papa, stay back"

His father took another step forward. Malik closed his eyes, which were filled with tears. He didn't open them until after the loud noise had faded. He saw his father slumped on the ground He could see the large wound in his chest, and the expanding circle of blood on his shirt. Malik's arm hurt badly from the recoil. Not that he noticed. He had just killed his Papa. His Papa had killed his Mama, and now he had killed his Papa.

Harriet Gwynne heard a shot. She turned to her husband who had also heard it. He got up and walked outside, Harriet followed. She looked around the normally peaceful town of Orton. Many others had gone outside to investigate the sound.

"Mrs Gwynne!" a man ran over the square to her porch. " Do you have any idea what that was?"

" Sounded like a shot." She was anxious.

" Where from?" asked the man. " I mean, who would be stupid enough to fire off at this time of night? "

" I've no idea Rhodri." Said Harriet. " Someone who was drunk?"

" Hey, Mr Bendict looked a bit, well, rather sloshed to put it politely." said Rhodri. Harriet was extremely worried now. She was friends with his wife.

" I'm going over there." said Mr Gwynne.

" I'm going too." Harriet was already rushing over. When Harriet arrived, she threw the door open. She immediately wished she hadn't.

" Oh my….." she broke off at the sight of the dead woman at the bottom of the stairs. She knelt next to the body. The woman's blond hair was matted with blood and her dress was covered in blood. Harriet looked up the stairs and saw another body. She turned to her husband who was standing in the doorway. He made his way up the wooden stairs and inspected the man's body. He looked at Malik who was curled up in the corner, crying. Mr Gwynne put a hand on his shoulder. Malik looked up, red rings around his blue eyes.

"I didn't mean to." The boy whimpered.

" I know you didn't. Shh, it's alright." he said, wrapping his arms around the boy.

No you don't

Harriet looked at the blond who had just rushed in.

"Did you have a good day Malik?" she asked, a smile on her face.

" Everyone's scared of me." He replied.

" Then why are they playing with you?" she asked, as she had seen them earlier that day.

" They don't say it. They just look at me, as if they don't trust me."

" Don't be silly Malik."

" All the adults do too. They talk about me when they think I'm not listening as well."

" No they don't.." she said, turning away. " Now come help me lay the table."

You do it too…..


End file.
